In the latest decision addressing the patentability of Myriad’s BRCA1- and BRCA2-related patents, the U. S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit invalidated a number of Myriad’s composition of matter claims and method...more

Although Sequenom has settled its dispute over U.S. Patent 6,258,540 with some parties, its case against Ariosa Diagnostics, Inc. remains active. Thus, we all should be waiting with bated breath to see whether the Federal...more

In the aftermath of the Supreme Court's decision in AMP v. Myriad Genetics in 2013, Myriad (paradoxically to those either not paying attention or who over interpreted the scope of the Court's holding in its opinion) filed...more

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) today released its latest iteration of guidance—referred to as the "Interim Eligibility Guidance"—to its examiners. This guidance is aimed at assessing whether an invention claimed...more

Is there a chain of reasoning that leads to the outcome in Myriad more shortly and directly than that outlined by Justice Thomas and without invoking judicial exceptions? It is strongly arguable that this is indeed the case...more

On Monday October 6th, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit will entertain oral argument in another case involving Myriad’s BRCA1/BRCA2 diagnostic tests. In re BRCA1- and BRCA2- Based Hereditary Cancer Test...more

The Full Federal Court of Australia affirmed that isolated nucleic acids, i.e. whether it be DNA or RNA, are patentable subject matter in Australia. While an appeal to the High Court of Australia may be possible, absent an...more

The Full Federal Court of Australia has handed down its long awaited decision in D'Arcy v Myriad Genetics Inc today, affirming that isolated DNA and RNA are patentable subject matter under Australian law....more

A five-judge bench of the Full Court of the Federal Court of Australia (Full Court) has today unanimously decided that Myriad Genetics Inc's (Myriad) patent covering the isolated BRCA1 gene (Patent) is patentable subject...more

The U.S. Supreme Court has recently taken a keen interest in whether certain subject matter is eligible to be patented under U.S. law1. In June 2013, the Supreme Court held in Myriad2 that patents on naturally-occurring DNA...more

At last week's BIO International Convention in San Diego, Andrew Hirshfeld, USPTO Deputy Commissioner for Patent Examination Policy, and June Cohan, a Legal Advisor with the USPTO's Office of Patent Legal Administration, took...more

MyriadIs Myriad truly authority for the proposition that naturally occurring nucleic acid sequences and a host of other naturally occurring materials are no longer patent-eligible? Was it really the intention of the Supreme...more

The exceptions to patent eligibility under 35 USC 101 always fell into three distinct categories: laws of nature, abstract ideas, and natural phenomena. In deciding a case about whether claims of farm animals may be...more

The CAFC extends Myriad beyond DNA claims -
Much ink has recently been spilled arguing that the PTO’s new guidelines go further than they should, and that Myriad’s reasoning should not be applied to proteins, cells,...more

Thanks to recent advances in cloning technology, treating degenerative diseases with replacement tissue that matches a patient’s genetic makeup exactly is no longer science fiction. Just last month, for example, two research...more

One advantage of being a blogger in the relatively small world of patents is that I have gotten to know practitioners in other countries who also have a keen interest in patent law. One such person is Australian Registered...more

On March 13, Myriad Genetics filed a Notice of (interlocutory) Appeal with the Federal Circuit. Myriad is seeking to have the Court review and reverse the District Court's denial of the company's preliminary jnjunction...more

In a 106-page opinion, U.S. District Court Judge Robert J. Shelby on Monday denied Myriad Genetics motion for preliminary injunction in Myriad Genetics v. Ambry Genetics. Characteristic of its aggressive defense of its...more

Today, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”) issued a Guidance, advising examiners and the public of the factors for determining whether an invention satisfies the U.S. Supreme Court’s interpretation of 35...more

Gene-by-Gene, Inc. was one of the first direct-to-consumer (DTC) genetic diagnostics companies to announce that it would offer BRCA1/BRCA2 testing after the Supreme Court's decision last June that certain of Myriad Genetics'...more